MSNBC host Chris Matthews asked Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to explain the difference between a Democrat and a socialist.
She didn't.
On Thursday's episode of Matthews' show
"Hardball," Matthews asked Wasserman-Schultz whether Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would get a chance to speak at the Democratic National Convention "as a socialist" if he fails to win the presidential nomination.
Wasserman Schultz insisted that the independent senator, who caucuses with Democrats, definitely would be allowed to speak because his "progressive, populist message" resonates with a sector of the party.
But she told Matthews she didn't know whether he'd get a prime-time slot or a time earlier in the day when, as Matthews put it, "nobody's watching."
He then appeared to catch Wasserman Shultz off guard when he asked, "What’s the difference between a Democrat and a socialist? I used to think there was a big difference. What do you think it is?"
A disarmed Wasserman Schultz tried to change the subject to the difference between Republicans and Democrats, but Matthews pressed her.
"You're the chairman of the Democratic Party. Tell me what's the difference between you and a socialist," he said.
Wasserman Schultz continued to contrast her party with the GOP, when Matthews interjected, "I think it's a huge difference."
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